True Love and Tears Under a Cherry Blossom Tree
by Moonlight-no-Sakura
Summary: Okay. This is my first fanfiction. It's a shojo IchiRuki fanfictio. Please enjoy it and tell me what you think. It's by Aquatic Lotus not Moonlight no Sakura!


Karakura High was out for the weekend on a nice spring afternoon. Ichigo Kurosaki took a breath of the cherry blossom breeze. He had a lot to think about such as if he wanted to help set up his school's cherry blossom fair for the upcoming cherry blossom festival and how he was going to confess to _**her**_ at the fair. He was in midthought when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Finally,Kurosaki-kun, I caught up to you."Orihime said between breaths.

"Huh? Inoue?"Ichigo said.

"Um... I know this is sudden but I wanted to ask you something. Kurosaki-kun...will you go out with me?"

Ichigo replied,"I'm sorry,Inoue,but it's just that I don't think we could ever be a couple..."

"That's okay,Kurosaki-kun."Orihime said with tears welling in her eyes.

"_Oh,no_" Ichigo thought. He knew he was telling her the truth because she was not the _**her**_ he was truly in love with,but at the same time, he remembered the last time he had made a girl cry.

_**Mini Flashback:**_ After the girl ran off crying, a classmate of Ichigo's grabbed him and turned him around to look him in the eye.

"Kurosaki, did you feel proud when you made her cry?"he angrily said.

"But,but I told her the truth and and that's all that m-m-matters,right?"Ichigo sputtered.

"Wow,Kurosaki."his classmate putting him down"You don't know that the #1 rule to being a real man is to always make a girl happy,and that when you make her cry you're not a man at all."-_**Flashback End**_

As Orihime was about to leave, Ichigo cried out "Wait! Inoue! I've reconsidered! I want to go out with you after all!"

"That's great,Kurosaki-kun!"Orihime said all of a sudden perking up"Tonight at 7 at the ice-cream parlor!"

Ichigo stared at the cherry blossom petals blowing in the breeze and said to himself,"I hope being a man is worth it."

The next morning, Ichigo went to help set up the fair to take some time to not worry about his dilemma (but mostly to see _her_.) "Ichigo!"a voice called out. It was _**her**_.

"Rukia!"Ichigo shouted happily.

"I'm glad you chose to help out."

"Am I invisible here or something?!"Renji cut in.

"Well with your big mouth you're certainly not!"Ichigo yelled.

"Well your mouth certainly ain't small either!" Renji yelled back.

"Quit arguing!We have a lot of origami to fold!"Rukia reminded them.

During their origami folding session,Renji said,"Well,Rukia,aren't you gonna ask him?"

"Oh yeah! I totally forgot! Ichigo, do you want to come with Renji and me to the movies tonight?"

"Sorry, Rukia I got a date with Inoue tonight."Ichigo said.

"D-date?"

"Sorry, I forgot to tell you, me and Inoue are together now."

"Um... Well I guess I'm done here."Rukia got up and ran off leaving an unfinished cherry blossom on the table. Renji, sensing sadness in her voice ran after her. Ichigo, now alone fell on his back and thought "_Just great. Being a man just cost me __**her**_."

Renji catching up with Rukia finally got her to sit down on a bench. He asked,"Rukia, why did you take off like that?"

"Well,Renji, I think it's time you know."She gulped."I'm in love with Ichigo."

"That bastard! I'll have him pulverized! I-I'll beat him to a bloody pulp! 'Cause anybody who goes off with another person thus hurting my friend deserves to die!"

Rukia thanked Renji for being a good friend even though he hadn't helped. All he did was put images of himself massacarring Ichigo, and no one would want to see their loved one get their organs ripped out by their own best friend, even if their loved one went for their other friend.Rukia got off the bench to leave again when Renji called her name again.

"Rukia!You're still going to the fair tomorrow, right?"

"Maybe.I'll see."

On Ichigo's date, Orihime was chatting her head off with Ichigo staring out the window, looking at the moon and nodding and going "Uh-huh".

"So, Kurosaki-kun,what do you think we should do at the fair together first?"

Ichigo didn't say anything.She repeated "Kurosaki-kun?" Still no reply.

Inside Ichigo's head,a voice echoed. It sounded so familiar,yet he could not distinguish it. "Ichigo,"it began"do you really think that to be a man you should lead your friend on? That it means loving someone you do not? That just because you make a girl cry you are no longer a man?"

"Of course not! Well,except that last part..."Ichigo replied.

"Hypocrite.You're leading Inoue on, acting like you love her when you truly love Rukia,and to correct your point-of-view on the last part, did you know that to be a person you have to be true to yourself?Because,for instance,if making a girl happy means going out with her when you don't love her, you are no longer a man nor person,but an object."

"I guess you're right I'll tell her right now."Just as Ichigo was going to tell Orihime off,his phone rang."Hello?"

"ICHIGOOOOOOOOO!! You are way past curfew get back home this instant!"It was Isshin Kurosaki,his dad.

"On it dad."He hung up the phone.It looked like he would just have to tell her tomorrow."Bye,Inoue"

Next night, at the cherry blossom fair, Ichigo was dragging Orihime through the crowd."Where are you taking me,Kurosaki-kun?"

"Somewhere private. We need to talk."

He stopped at the most beautiful cherry blossom tree with the moon overhead. "Inoue,"he started"I'm breaking up."

"W-why?"she stammered.

"I never loved you to begin with. I thought I'd be a man if I made you happy,but a voice told me I'm just an object if I date someone I don't love. There's a girl out there I want to give my heart to,and I'm sorry,Inoue, but it isn't you."

Orihime covered her face and ran down the hill,crying. Ichigo went down the opposite way to look for Rukia.Ichigo ran into Renji, who had come with Nemu, and asked him,"Have you seen Rukia?"

"Why would you want her when you have your precious _Inoue_?"

"I don't love Inoue!I broke up with her!I never loved her!It's just that someone a long time ago said that you're not a real man if you make a girl cry,but this whole time I loved Rukia!"

"Whoa,for one thing,that's the dumbest thing I ever heard,and no, I haven't seen Rukia.I think she decided not to come."

At that moment,Ichigo flicked out his phone and dialed Rukia's number."_I hope she picks up_."he thought.

At the Kuchiki manor,Rukia's phone rang. Rukia picked up her phone and gloomily said hello.

"Rukia!" Ichigo said."I have something to tell you,but you'll have to come to the fair.Renji told me everything and I'm sorry if I hurt you in any way.By the way, you know that hill with the cherry blossom tree?"

"Yes."

"Meet me there."

It felt like years had passed to Ichigo when Rukia came."Uhhh...Rukia. I had something important to say like I said in my phone call.It's more of a confession really. Here it goes. Rukia,I love you.No,no, I don't _love_ you I'm _in_ love with you. And I apologize for the wrong I did you. I also hope that you can forgive me enough for being a jerk to still love me. I never loved Inoue, I thought I was being a man by keeping her happy, but in reality, I was an object for dating someone I don't love. So Rukia,do you forgive me?"

"Of course.Any guy who can admit their wrong deeds deserves a second chance."

"Another thing,Rukia.Will you go out with me?"At that moment Ichigo had recognized the voice. It had been his own. His consience had told him right from wrong that one time.

"Yes."Rukia said.

"Then,let's have our first date right now."Ichigo said.

"What would that be?"

"To watch the fireworks of course!"Ichigo said taking her hand.

And together they sat on the soft grass looking up overhead at the vibrant firworks flashing against the full moon with the stars twinkling in the backround, and of course, the cherry blossom petals dancing in the wind.


End file.
